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Naim Audio, Part One:我與品牌的初遇以及全新系列的誕生

文｜Jonathan Gorse  發佈日期：2023 年 2 月 15 日  翻譯｜Gemini  編輯、潤稿｜巨禮小編

原文網址：https://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php/features-menu/in-good-company/1167-naim-audio-part-one-how-i-was-introduced-to-the-brand-and-a-new-range

點我了解Naim 產品資訊

 

Do you remember your first system? Throughout our lives as audiophiles, there are certain key moments that define that particular sound we all chase in our heads.

你還記得你的第一套音響系統嗎？在我們身為音響發燒友的生涯中，總有某些關鍵時刻定義了我們腦海中孜孜不倦追求的那種獨特聲音。

 

I was just 19 in the summer of 1988 when I experienced the most influential audio demonstration of my life at a bygone audio retailer, Hi-Fi Systems of Southport, England. I was putting together my first audio system before leaving for university, and as all lovers of fine audio know, choosing your first complete system is a seminal moment in any budding audiophile’s life. At the top of my list of potential components was the Arcam Alpha integrated, then the reigning champion of budget amplifiers at £129.

1988 年的夏天，年僅 19 歲的我，在英國紹斯波特（Southport）一家現已結業的音響零售商「Hi-Fi Systems」，體驗了人生中最具影響力的一次音響示範。那時我正準備在離家上大學前組建人生第一套音響系統。正如所有追求精緻音質的愛好者所知，挑選第一套完整的系統，是任何初入之門的發燒友生命中極具開創性的時刻。當時我候選名單上的首選器材是 Arcam Alpha 綜合擴大機，那是當時平價擴大機領域的王者，售價 129 英鎊。

 

As the final demo track from Pink Floyd’s The Wall ended, I confirmed my intention to purchase the Arcam. But then the owner of the shop said, “Do you mind if I just try something?” Now, at 19 you’re open to just about any experience you can get, legal or illegal, so I enthusiastically agreed. He walked out and returned with the smallest shoebox amplifier imaginable—the Naim Nait—and at £255, it was roughly double the price of the Arcam.

當 Pink Floyd《牆》（The Wall）的最後一首示範曲目結束時，我確認了購買 Arcam 的意向。但隨後店主說：「介不介意讓我試試別的？」在那 19 歲的年紀，你對任何能獲得的體驗都抱持開放態度，無論合法與否，於是我興奮地答應了。他走出去，帶回了一台體積小得超乎想像、宛如鞋盒般的擴大機——Naim Nait。它的售價為 255 英鎊，大約是 Arcam 的兩倍。

 

The Nait was Naim’s tiny integrated, the lowest that the lofty audio engineers in Salisbury were prepared to stoop and still put their name on an amplifier. Crucially, it was the first step on Naim’s stairway to audiophile heaven. I understood this because every month I devoured audiophile magazines in which writers like Malcolm Steward and Chris Frankland wrote in glowing praise of Naim’s incredible sound. To this day I still regard Malcolm as the finest audio journalist to have scratched ink across vellum—if you can find it, check out his NAC 52 review to experience the grand master at the very peak of his powers.

Nait 是 Naim 旗下最迷你的綜合擴大機，也是那些位於索爾茲伯里（Salisbury）心高氣傲的音響工程師們，在願意掛上品牌標誌的前提下所能做出的最低限度妥協。至關重要的是，它是踏上 Naim 音響天堂階梯的第一步。我之所以明白這一點，是因為當時我每個月都會如飢似渴地閱讀音響雜誌，像 Malcolm Steward 和 Chris Frankland 等作家都對 Naim 驚人的聲音讚不絕口。時至今日，我仍認為 Malcolm 是音響評論界最頂尖的撰稿者——如果你能找得到，去看看他對 NAC 52 的評論，感受一下這位大師巔峰時期的功力。

 

When the dealer cued up “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2),” I was blown out of my seat by the snare and cymbal hits. The speed, drama, intensity, and scale of the sound were in a totally different league than the Arcam, or anything else at anywhere near the price. Within seconds, I knew there was no way on earth I could leave without the Naim, even though it was way beyond my budget. I told the people at the shop I loved it but just couldn’t afford it—and then they did something extraordinary. They offered to sell me their demo unit, which brought the cost down to £200, and what’s more, they offered to reserve it for me over the summer until I had earned the rest of the money I needed from my student job.

當經銷商撥放《Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)》時，那小鼓與鈸片的擊打聲簡直讓我從座位上彈了起來。那種聲音的速度感、戲劇性、強度與規模感，與 Arcam 或是同價位的任何產品相比，完全不在同一個層次。幾秒鐘之內，我就知道自己絕對無法空手而歸，即便它遠遠超出了我的預算。我告訴店員我很喜歡但買不起——結果他們做了一件非凡的事：他們提議把這台展示機以 200 英鎊賣給我，更棒的是，他們願意在暑假期間為我保留，直到我靠打工賺夠剩下的錢。

 

For the next few months, I popped into the shop regularly to check that the little Naim was still there, and they would obligingly invite me in, make me coffee, show me my boxed Nait, and play me whatever exotic system they had on demo that week. Their systems were always fronted by a Linn Sondek turntable, usually connected to some combination of a Naim preamp and power amp, and rounded out with Naim SBL or Linn Isobarik speakers. My audio education began right there and I’m not joking!

在接下來的幾個月裡，我經常跑進店裡確認那台小 Naim 是否還在。他們總是很親切地邀請我進去，幫我泡杯咖啡，展示我那台裝在箱子裡的 Nait，並為我播放當週正在示範的各種頂級系統。他們的系統總是採用 Linn Sondek 黑膠唱盤作為前端，通常搭配 Naim 的前後級擴大機組合，最後配上 Naim SBL 或 Linn Isobarik 揚聲器。我不誇張，我的音響教育就是從那裡開始的！

 

Later in the summer I walked in, put £200 down on the counter, and with great excitement took home the Nait. That incredible little amplifier saw me through university, played the soundtrack to countless young seductions and painful breakups, played at my 21st birthday, served as the PA system at my graduation party, and in a bizarre twist of fate, stepped in at my 50th birthday party when, after hours of high-volume abuse, my big Naim preamp and power amplifiers went into thermal shutdown. Now, over three decades on, it’s still making music driving a second system in our home studio.

夏末之時，我走進店裡，將 200 英鎊現金放在櫃檯上，滿懷興奮地把 Nait 抱回家。那台不可思議的小擴大機陪我度過了大學時光，成為無數次青澀誘惑與痛苦分手的背景音樂；它在我的 21 歲生日派對上播放，也在畢業派對上充當擴音系統。命運弄人的是，在我 50 歲生日派對上，當我那套大型 Naim 前後級在經過數小時的高音量操駕而導致熱保護關機時，它竟然再次挺身救援。現在，三十多年過去了，它依然在我們家工作室的第二套系統中持續鳴唱。

 

Crucially, the Nait was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with a sound created and engineered in Salisbury by Naim Audio and designed from the very beginning to recreate the drama, emotion, and impact of live music. So, some 35 years after my first encounter with Naim, I decided to pay them a visit to find out how they create audio magic in Salisbury.

至關重要的是，Nait 是我與 Naim Audio 締結終身情緣的開端。這種聲音在索爾茲伯里創造與研發，從一開始的設計初衷就是為了重現現場音樂的戲劇感、情感與衝擊力。因此，在初遇 Naim 約 35 年後，我決定親自造訪，一探他們在索爾茲伯里是如何創造音響魔力的。

 

一段小歷史 A little history

 

From no matter what direction you approach Salisbury, the city that Naim calls home, the glorious spire of Salisbury Cathedral dominates your view long before you reach the outlying suburbs. It’s the tallest spire in England, and American novelist Bill Bryson wrote of it: “There is no doubt in my mind that Salisbury Cathedral is the single most beautiful structure in England and the close around it the most beautiful space. Every stone, every wall, every shrub is just right. It is as if every person who has touched it for 700 years has only improved it.”

無論你從哪個方向前往 Naim 的故鄉索爾茲伯里，在抵達郊區之前，雄偉的索爾茲伯里座堂尖頂就會主宰你的視野。它是英格蘭最高的尖頂，美國作家比爾·布萊森（Bill Bryson）曾寫道：「在我心中，索爾茲伯里座堂無疑是英格蘭最美麗的單體建築，其周邊的教區庭院則是最好的空間。每一塊石頭、每一面牆、每一株灌木都恰到好處。彷彿 700 年來接觸過它的每個人都在讓它變得更好。」

 

Not only that, but Salisbury Cathedral holds the finest of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta, the single most important document in democracy. Signed in 1215 by King John of England on the banks of the Thames, it took ultimate power away from the King and gave it to the people, or at least their elected representatives. It is the foundation stone of every democracy on earth.

不僅如此，索爾茲伯里座堂還保存著現存四份《大憲章》（Magna Carta）中品相最完好的一份。這是民主制度中最重要的文件，1215 年由英格蘭國王約翰在泰晤士河畔簽署，它剝奪了國王的絕對權力，並將其交還給人民，或至少是人民選出的代表。它是地球上所有民主國家的奠基石。

 

It was here in 1969, in the shadow of that magnificent spire, that Julian Vereker, a young engineer, began experimenting with tape recording. One of his friends, a talented guitarist, asked him to make some recordings of his playing. Julian took along his high-quality Revox reel-to-reel tape machine and a professional Audio-Technica microphone to capture the performance. Later, when he replayed the tape, he realized that much of the music’s life, emotion, energy, and dynamics had been lost in the recording process.

就在這裡，1969 年在那座宏偉尖頂的陰影下，年輕的工程師 Julian Vereker 開始嘗試磁帶錄音。他的一位才華橫溢的吉他手朋友請他幫忙錄音。Julian 帶著他高品質的 Revox 開盤式帶機和專業的鐵三角（Audio-Technica）麥克風去收音。事後，當他重播錄音帶時，他意識到音樂中的生命力、情感、能量與動態在錄音過程中流失了大半。

 

 

At the time, the prevailing orthodoxy was that all amps sounded alike. However, through experimentation Julian found this wasn’t true. He discovered instead that all amplifiers suffered from varying degrees of distortion. He spent 12 months teaching himself electronics before he started building amplifiers and small mixing decks. The first Naim Audio power amplifier emerged in 1971, but it was only available on request to friends and acquaintances. In 1973 Vereker won a contract to supply 24 actively powered loudspeakers to Capital Radio. Later that year he incorporated Naim Audio, and in 1974, he moved its premises from a house basement to a 16th-century shop. Vereker had great difficulty deciding what to call his new audio venture and so with wry humour, he dubbed it Naim because he couldn’t come up with a suitable name!

當時流行的正統觀念是「所有擴大機聽起來都一樣」。然而，透過實驗，Julian 發現事實並非如此。他發現所有的擴大機都存在不同程度的失真。在開始製造擴大機和小型混音台之前，他花了 12 個月自我鑽研電子學。第一台 Naim Audio 功率擴大機於 1971 年問世，但當時僅供親友訂製。1973 年，Vereker 贏得了為 Capital Radio 提供 24 對主動式揚聲器的合約。同年晚些時候，他正式成立了 Naim Audio 公司，並在 1974 年將廠址從住家地下室遷至一棟 16 世紀的店舖。當時 Vereker 為了給他的新音響事業命名而大傷腦筋，最後他以冷幽默的方式將其取名為「Naim」，只因為他想不出一個合適的名字（name）！

 

These days Naim occupies a building complex on the outskirts of the city, and the premises have gradually expanded with the rising fortunes of the company. The core of the factory is festooned with masses of enormous Ron Smith Galaxie FM aerials, some of which seem to rival the mighty cathedral in height if not width! Back in the 1980s and ’90s, Naim built some of the finest tuners on earth and always specified Ron Smith aerials for use with them.

如今，Naim 坐落於市郊的一片建築群中，隨著公司業績蒸蒸日上，廠區也逐漸擴大。工廠核心區域點綴著大量巨大的 Ron Smith Galaxie FM 天線，其中有些天線的高度（若非寬度）甚至足以與宏偉的座堂媲美！在 1980 和 90 年代，Naim 製造了世界上最頂尖的收音調諧器，並且總是指定搭配 Ron Smith 的天線使用。

 

For this tour I was warmly greeted by Jason Gould, now brand ambassador for Naim. I’ve known Jason since he first came to my house over 20 years ago to install the NAC 552 preamplifier for a front cover review with Hi-Fi News & Record Review. Such long service is quite common at Naim, as people seem to join the company and spend their entire careers there making their mark in a variety of different roles. It was quickly apparent that the firm still has the same family feel I recall it having back in the late 1990s.

在這次參訪中，我受到了 Jason Gould 的熱情接待，他現在是 Naim 的品牌大使。我認識 Jason 已經超過 20 年了，當時他來到我家安裝 NAC 552 前級，是為了《Hi-Fi News & Record Review》的封面評論。在 Naim，這種資深員工很常見，人們似乎一旦加入，就會在那裡度過整個職涯，在不同的崗位上留下自己的印記。很快地，我發現這家公司依然保有我 1990 年代末期記憶中的那種家庭般的溫馨氛圍。

 

Vereker steered the firm through the “flat earth” heyday of the 1970s and 1980s, challenging the prevailing orthodoxy that all amplifiers sounded the same while emphasizing the importance of preserving the pace, rhythm, and timing of music. Together with Linn’s Ivor Tiefenbrun, Vereker espoused the “source first” philosophy, which held that the source was the most important system component because musical information lost by the source cannot be restored, no matter how fine the later components in the signal chain. Naim endorsed Linn’s LP12 as the best choice for its amplifiers while Linn recommended Naim amplifiers for use with its turntable. This arrangement proved highly successful for both companies but eventually proved problematic when both began making loudspeakers. Linn moved into amplifiers and Naim started making tonearms.

Vereker 帶領公司走過了 1970 與 80 年代的「地平論」（Flat Earth）黃金時期，挑戰了「擴大機聲音皆相同」的傳統觀念，並強調保持音樂「節奏、韻律與時序」（PRaT）的重要性。Vereker 與 Linn 的 Ivor Tiefenbrun 共同倡導「訊源優先」哲學，認為訊源是系統中最重要的組件，因為一旦訊源丟失了音樂資訊，無論後端器材多麼精良都無法修補。當時 Naim 推崇 Linn 的 LP12 為其擴大機的最佳搭配，而 Linn 也推薦使用 Naim 擴大機來搭配其唱盤。這種合作模式對兩家公司都大獲成功，但隨著雙方都開始製造揚聲器，問題也隨之而來——Linn 跨足了擴大機領域，而 Naim 也開始研發唱臂。

 

Philips and Sony launched the CD in 1982, but Naim was seemingly slow to embrace the technology, only launching their first CD player, the CDS, in 1991. For years before that, the company had in fact been developing prototypes, building digital expertise within the factory, and working with Philips. That’s very much the approach Naim has always adopted—they’re rarely first to market, but they do invest heavily in R&D, and they’re continually embracing and assessing new technologies. When they do finally launch a product, it’s a highly refined and professionally executed design that often ends up lauded as among the very best in its class. That’s not to say everything makes it into production: legendary tales exist of electrostatic speakers that almost killed their designers and compact cassette decks that were prototyped but never launched.

飛利浦與索尼在 1982 年推出了 CD，但 Naim 在擁抱這項技術上似乎顯得步調緩慢，直到 1991 年才推出首款 CD 唱盤 CDS。事實上，在此之前的數年間，公司一直在開發原型機，在廠內建立數位技術專業，並與飛利浦合作。這正是 Naim 一貫的做法——他們很少是市場上的先行者，但他們在研發上投入巨大，且不斷地接納與評估新技術。當他們最終推出產品時，那一定是經過高度精煉與專業執行的設計，往往被譽為同類產品中的佼佼者。當然，並非所有東西都能進入量產：坊間流傳著一些傳奇故事，比如差點害死設計師的靜電揚聲器，以及雖有原型機卻從未上市的卡式錄音座。

 

Julian Vereker remained at the helm of the company until his untimely death in 2000, when sales director Paul Stephenson took over. At that point, Naim had a turnover of £6,000,000. Paul, a lifelong Naim employee, took the company into the digital streaming era, further developed Naim’s own record label, oversaw the partnership with Focal, and launched a totally new model range. By the time he retired in 2015—and Trevor Wilson, formerly head of R&D, took over—Naim’s turnover had risen to £15,000,000. Today the company turnover has reached £39,000,000, huge by high-end audio standards. Naim is in fine shape, and it’s currently led by Cedrick Boutonet, CEO of VerVent Audio Holding—the parent company that owns Naim and Focal.

Julian Vereker 一直掌舵公司直至 2000 年英年早逝，隨後由銷售總監 Paul Stephenson 接任。當時 Naim 的營業額為 600 萬英鎊。Paul 作為 Naim 的終身員工，帶領公司進入了數位串流時代，進一步發展了 Naim 自家的唱片廠牌，監督了與 Focal 的合夥關係，並推出了全新的產品系列。到了 2015 年他退休時——由前研發主管 Trevor Wilson 接任——Naim 的營業額已上升至 1500 萬英鎊。如今，公司的營業額已達到 3900 萬英鎊，這在高端音響標準下是巨大的規模。Naim 目前狀況極佳，由 VerVent Audio Holding（擁有 Naim 和 Focal 的母公司）的執行長 Cedrick Boutonet 領導。

 

新時代的黎明 . . .  Dawn of a new era . . .

 

Naim celebrates its 50th birthday in 2023. The year got off to a flying start when Naim launched the first wave of its New Classic range of audio components on January 4. These comprise the NSC 222 streaming preamp, the next-generation NAP 250 power amplifier, and the NPX 300 power supply. This is only the third major design change in Naim’s long history, but it forms the core product line that will set the company’s direction sonically and visually for the next decade or more. This evolution is similar to the transition that occurred in 1988, when the “chrome bumper” designs of the 1970s gave way to the Olive era. Olive was later succeeded by the Classic design in 2002.

Naim 於 2023 年慶祝其 50 歲生日。這一年有了一個飛躍式的開端，Naim 於 1 月 4 日推出了第一波 New Classic 系列音響組件。這些產品包括 NSC 222 串流前級、次世代 NAP 250 功率擴大機以及 NPX 300 電源供應器。這僅是 Naim 長期歷史中第三次重大的設計變革，但它構成了核心產品線，將決定公司未來十年甚至更長時間在聲音與視覺上的發展方向。這次演進類似於 1988 年的轉型，當時 1970 年代的「鍍鉻保險桿」設計讓位給了 Olive（橄欖綠）時代；隨後 Olive 在 2002 年被 Classic（經典）設計所取代。

 

The New Classic range builds on the original Classic style but incorporates elements from the company’s Statement line, like the white Naim logo, NA009 transistors, and beautifully machined finned heatsinks on the sides. Circuits have received a radical overhaul too, with higher output of 100Wpc for the latest NAP 250 power amplifier. The new range offers balanced XLR connection while the novel power-saving features first pioneered in the Uniti range have also been incorporated. During my factory visit in the late summer of 2022, I witnessed the new units being built. But I have yet to hear them. Rest assured that SoundStage! will be reviewing the next generation in depth as soon as possible.

Next month you’ll read all about my day at Naim and see the inside of the factory.

New Classic 系列承襲了原始 Classic 的風格，但融入了公司旗艦 Statement 系列的元素，例如白色的 Naim 標誌、NA009 電晶體以及側面精美加工的鰭片狀散熱器。電路也經過了徹底的翻新，最新的 NAP 250 功率擴大機具備每聲道 100 瓦的高輸出功率。新系列提供了平衡式 XLR 連接，同時也納入了最初在 Uniti 系列中開創的新型節能功能。在 2022 年夏末造訪工廠期間，我目睹了這些新機器的組裝過程。但我尚未親耳聆聽。請放心，《SoundStage!》將會盡快對這新一代產品進行深入評測。

下個月，您將讀到關於我在 Naim 度過的一整天，並隨我一同深入工廠內部一探究竟。